Welt-shoe-sewing mschine.



A. F. LITTLEFIELD.

WELT SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-7.1916.

SHEET 1.

A. F. LITTLEFIELD.

WELT SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 7. I916.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEEI 2.

A. F. LITTLEFIELD.

WELT SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

Patented Apr. 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHFEI 3.

A F. LlTTLEFlELD- WELT SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1. 19m.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

AUGUSTINE F. LITTLEFTELD, 01E LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY C .A CORPORATION 011 NEW JERSEY.

ORPORATTCN, 0F PATEltSON, NEW JERSEY,

WELT SHOJE-SEWTNG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, finite...

Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,66?

able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to welt shoe sewing machines, and particularly to novel and improved means for guiding and operating on the welt during its passage to the sewing point.

The principal object of the invention is to so present the welt at the sewing point that the welt after being sewed to the shoe can be beaten out flat with less difficulty.

than has heretofore been the case, especially at the toe portion of the shoe.

Uther obj ectsof the invention are to provide a welt shoe sewing machine with improved means for slashing the welt to further facilitate the subsequent beating out of the welt and with means by which the operations which are performed upon the welt as it passes to the sewing point may be varied to best adapt the'welt to difierent portions of the shoe.

With these objects in view a feature of the invention contemplates utilizing the usual movement of the welt guide toward the shoe to crowd the welt forward toward the sewing point or full it upon the shoe so that less stretching of the outer margin of the welt will be required in the subsequent welt beat ing operation, and the welt, particularly at the toe portion of the shoe, can be more readily beaten out flat. Tn utilizing the movement of the welt guide to accomplish this result means are provided for gripping the welt in the guide during the forward movement of the guide. Also in order that the crowding forward or fulling of the welt may be controlled so as to give the desired amount of welt at difl'erent ortions of the shoe, a greater fulling efi'ect eing desirable at the toe for instance, means-are provided for throwing the welt gri ping means into and out of operation. s an additional means for controlling the fulling of the welt the mechanism for moving the welt guide proved construction is toward and from the shoe is arranged so that the extent of welt guide movement may be varied during the operation of the machine. in connection with this variable movement of the welt guide'it may be stated that the welt guide ordinarily used on a welt sewing machine has a tendency to crowd forward or full the welt slightly, especially if the opening in the welt guide closely fits the welt. Accordingly, this variable movement of the welt guide in and of itself is considered a feature of the present invention apart from the feature of intermittently gripping the welt.

To secure the best results in fulling the welt either by varying the movement of the welt guide or by gripping the welt in the guide it is desirable that the welt guide opening closely fit the welt. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings fonning a part of this application a welt guide of improvided having its parts adjustable to fit welts of different thicknesses and widths. The construction of this welt guide as hereinafter described and claimed also constitutes a feature of the present invention.

In the preferred form of the invention hereinafter described the means for gripping the welt in the welt guide comprises a welt slashing knife mounted on the welt guide and so actuated as to be kept in engagement with the welt during at least a portion of the forward movement of the welt guide. The knife, therefore, has a welt slashing movement and also a movement with the welt guide toward the shoe, and the provision in a welt shoe sewing machine of a welt slashing knife having these move ments constitutes a feature of the present invention. The welt slashing knife and the means hereinafter described by which it is supported, actuated and controlled, also embody certain other novel features of invention which will be particularly defined in the claims.

Tn addition to the features of invention above referred to the present invention also and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The several features of the present inven-.

tion will be clearly understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated as embodied in a welt shoe sewing machine of well-known construction.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the welt sewing machine with the preferred embodiment of the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in section illustrating the welt guide, welt slashing knife, and the mechanism for actuating and controlling the knife; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. t is a detail view in front elevation of the treadle mecl1anism illustrated in Fig. 1 by which the mechanism for actuating the welt slash ing knife is controlled; Fig. 5 is a detail view in side elevation on a larger scale, of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of the parts illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 8 is a view in end elevation of the parts illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation partly in section of the head of the welt sewing machine illustrated in Fig. 1 looking in the opposite direction, and Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig 6.

The welt shoe sewing machine illustrated in the drawings is the same except as hereinafter described, as the machine disclosed in the patent to Andrew Eppler, No. 1,108,560, dated August 25, 1914. The machine comprises a curved hook needle 1, a needle guide 2, a thread finger 3, a looper 4, a take-up 5, an auxiliary take-u 6, a back rest or hunter 7, a welt guide 8, a thread tension mechanism 9, a feed slide 10, a channel guide 11, and an awl 12 which parts, with the exception of the welt guide, are constructed, arranged and operated as in the machine of the patent above referred to.

The welt ide of the machine comprises a body portion 13 and a guiding plate or shield 14 which parts are secured upon a swinging arm 15 pivotally mounted at 160 upon the frame of the machine above and in front of the pivotal axis of the needle. The arm 15 of the welt guide mechanism is connected by means of a link 16 to a reciprocating slide 17 mounted in suitable guideways in the frame of the machine, the construction of the welt guideand its supporting and actuating mechanism a so far described being the same in all respects as the corresponding mechanism of the Eppler patent above referred to.

During the operation of the machine the welt guide is moved toward and from the shoe by mechanism acting on the welt guide slide 17, the movements of the guide being timed with relation to the other parts'of the is crowded forward against the shoe.

machine as in the machine of the Eppler patent above referred to. In that machine, as is usual in welt hoe sewing machines of the curved hook needle type, the welt guide is moved backward away from the shoe while the shoe is being fed and is moved forward toward the shoe while the shoe is stationary and during the forward work piercing movement of the needle. To enable the welt to be gripped in the welt guide during the movement of the guide toward the hoe so as to crowd the welt forward and full it on to the shoe the machine illustrated in the drawings is rovided with a welt slashing knife, the bla e of which is indicated at 18. This blade is supported and guided in a slot formed in a plate 19 forming a part of the welt guide and secured to the body )ortion 13 of the guide between the body portion and the guide plate 1 1. The forward edge of the plate 19 forms an edge guide for the welt and the guiding slot for the blade 18 passes through this edge 50 that the blade of the knife is supported by the plate 19 close up to the point of engagement of the knife blade with the welt. Accuracy of operation in slashing the welt is thus insured and when the welt guide and knife are moved toward the shoe with the knife in engagement with the Welt the welt is firmly held against movement relative to the guide and To slash the welt the slashing knife is reciprocated, the forward movement with relation to the welt guide taking place during the movement of the guide toward the work and being so timed with relation to the movement of the guide that the knife is in engagement with the welt during at least a portion of the forward movement of the guide. enable the welt slashing knife to be reciprocated it is provided with a cylindrical shank 20 extending rearwardly from the blade portion 18 and rigidly secured in a split clamp 21 projecting from a slide 22 mounted in a guideway formed in a rearwardly extending portion 23 of the body portion 13 of the welt guide. From the lide 22 a pin 24: projects through a slot in the portion 23 of the welt guide and this pin is provided with a roll which is engaged by a slot 25 in the upper end of an arm 26 pivoted at 27 on the frame of the machine. The welt slashing knife is thus operatively connected with the pivoted arm 26 so that an oscillation of the arm 26 will impart reciprocating movements to the slashing knife. The rearward position of the arm 26 is determined by an adjustable stop screw 28 passing through the arm and arranged to engage a portion of the ma-' chine frame, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The arm is returned to this position after being actuated to slash the welt by a compression spring 29 interposed between the frame of the machine, and a downwardly the shoulder 32 of the block extending portion of the arm, as best shown in Fig. 2. The arm 26 is actuated to slash the welt during the, forward movement of the welt guide by connections between the welt guide slide 17 and the arm. These connections consist of a block 30 secured to the welt guide slide 17 and an arm 31 pivotally mounted upon the arm 26, the lower end of the block 30 being provided with a shoulder 32 for engagement with the rear end of the arm 31. With this construction, when the arm 31 i in the position indicated in Fig. 2 the rear end of the arm will be engaged by 30 during each forward reciprocation of the welt guide slide 17 and through the arm 26 the welt slashing knife will be actuated to slash and hold the welt in proper timed relation to the forward movement of the welt guide.

In sewing the welt to a shoe it is ordinarily undesirable either to slash or full the welt except at the toe portion of the shoe and in order that the welt slashing and fulling operations may be suspended except while the toe or any other desired ortion of the shoe is being operated upon t e lever 31 of the welt slashing mechanism is connected to a knee or body operated treadle so that it can be moved by the operator into and out of the path of movement of the block 30. The arm 26 of the welt slashing mechanism can, therefore, be kept at rest at the will of the operator and thereby-the welt slashing and fulling operations suspended except at the desired portions of the shoe. While the welt slashing mechanism is out of operation the welt slashing knife moves bodily with the welt guide toward and from the shoe, but has no movement with relation to the welt guide, this result being secured b 25 in the arm 26 so that it is substantially concentric with the center about which the arm. 15 of the welt guide mechanism swings when the arm 26 is at rest in the position indicated in Fig. 2. The connections for moving the arm 31 into and out of the path of movement of the block 30 consists of a link 33, the upper end of which is connected to a forwardl extending portion of the lever 31, and a ll crank lever 34 to the horizontal arm of which the lower end of the link 33 is connected, a link 35, one end of which is connected to the vertical arm of the bell 'crank 34, a body or I knee operated lever 36 through which the rod 35 passes and which is acted upon by a spring 37 interposed betweenthe lever and the frame of the machine, and a spring 38 interposed between the treadle and a collar 39 on the free end of the link 35.

In themachine illustrated in the drawings the welt guide slide 17 is advanced toward the shoe by means of a spring 40 conmeeting the block 30 on the side with the frame of the machine. The slide is locked curving the slot in its advanced position by means of a clutch consisting of a' collar 41 surrounding the slide 17 but fixed with relation to the frame of the machine and provided with a pinch dog 42, which pinch dog is arranged to be engaged by the lower end of a cam actuated lever 43. The slide 17 is retracted by means of a clutch collar 44 mounted on the slide 17 and provided with a pinch dog 45 also arranged actuated lever 43. vThe clutch collar 44 is provided with a pin 46 which projects through a slot in a strap 47 secured to a block 48 and the clutch collar is acted upon by a spring 49 coiled around the slide 17 and interposed between the block 48 and the clutch collar, the tendency of which spring is to force the clutch collar to the right, as viewed in Fig. 9, as far as is permitted by the slot in the strap 47. It is desirable for reasons hereinbefore stated to vary the throw of the welt guide at different portions of the shoe and in order to permit this to be done means are provided in the machine illustrated in the drawings for changing the position of the clutch collar 44 so that more or less of the throw of the cam actuated lever 43 may be efiective in retractin the welt guide slide 17. As illustrated in Fig. 9,

the block 48 to which the strap 47 is secured ,is loosely mounted on the slide 17 and is connected by a toggle-lever 50 to a stationary part of the machine frame so that a change in the position of the toggle lever will move the block 48 and the clutch collar 44 so as to vary the throw of the welt guide slide. To enable the position of the toggle lever 50 to be changed its center point is connected to a vertical rod 51 sliding in bearings on the frame of the machine and acted upon by a spring 52 coiled around the rod and interposed between one of the bearings for the rod and a stop nut 53 which serves to limit the upward movement of the rod under the force of the spring. The lower end of the rod 51 is connected to a cord passing through suitable guides on theframe and column of the machine and leading to the lower end of the link 33.

For reasons hereinbefore stated it is desirable that the opening in the welt guide closely fit the welt. Accordingly, the welt guide of the machine illustrated in the drawings is so constructed that the guiding plate or shield 14 may be adjusted toward and from the body portion for different thicknesses of welt, the construction being substantially the same as that disclosed in the patent to Andrew Eppler, No. 1,070,122, dated August 12, 1913. Also the plate 19, the forward edge of which forms an edge guide for the welt, is secured tothe body portion by means of a screw 55 passing through a slot in the plate 19 to permit the plate to be adjusted to suit \velts of different widths. An adjustment of the plate let toward and from the body portion 13 of the welt guide leaves more or less of a space between the upper surface of the plate 14 and the under surface of the plate 19 so that when the welt guide is adjusted for a thick welt so great a space is left between the adjacent surfaces of the plates 14 and 19 as to interfere with or prevent the proper guiding of the welt by the edge of the plate 19. To obviate this defect, in the construction illustrated in the drawings and more particularly in Fig. 5, the plate 19 is provided at the ends of its edge guiding portion with extensions 56 which project respectively across opposite edges of the plate 14c and thus afiord efficient guiding means for the welt regardless of the distance of the guiding plate 14 from the body portion 13 of the welt guide.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated and the preferred form of the invention havingbeen specifically described, what is claimed is 1. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, shoe feeding mechanism, mechanism for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine acting to impart movement to the welt guide toward the shoe while the shoe is stationary, and means for gripping the welt in the welt guide during the movement of the guide toward the shoe.

2. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, mechanism for moving the welt guide to ward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, a welt slashing knife movable toward the shoe with the welt guide, and means for actuating the knife to slash the welt during the movement of the welt guide toward the shoe.

3. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide,

mechanism for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, a welt slashing knife movable toward the shoe with the welt guide, and means for actuating the knife to slash the welt acting to hold the knife in engagement with the welt during the movement of the welt guide toward the shoe.

4. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, mechanism for moving the welt guide to ward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, and means for varying the extent of welt guide movement during the operation of the machine.

5. A welt shoesewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, mechanism for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, means for gripping the welt in the welt guide during the movement of the guide toward the shoe, and means for varying the extent of welt guide movement during the operation of the machine.

6. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, mechanism for moving the welt guide to ward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, a welt slashing knife movable toward the shoe with the welt guide, means for actuating the knife to slash the welt acting to hold the knife in engagement with the welt during the movement of the welt guide toward the shoe, and means for throwing the knife into and out of operation during the operation of the machine.

7 A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, work guiding devices including a welt guide, mechanism for moving the welt guide to ward and from the shoe during each cycle of operationsof the machine, a welt sla'shing knife movable toward the shoe with the welt guide, means for actuating the knife to slash the welt acting to hold the knife in engagement with the welt during the movement of the welt guide toward the shoe, and means for varying during the operation of the machine the extent of movement of the knife with the guide while in engagement with the welt.

8. A welt guide for welt shoe sewing machines, having in combination, a body portion provided with a guiding surface for engagement with one surface of the welt, a guide plate for engagement with the other surface of the welt adjustable toward and from the body portion for welts of different thickness, and an edge guide secured to the body portion and provided with an extension projecting across the edge of the guide plate.

9. A welt guide for welt shoe sewing machines, having in combination, a body portion provided with a guiding surface for engagement with one surface of the welt, a guide plate for engagement with the other surface of'the welt adjustable toward and from the body portion for. Welts of different thickness, and an edge guide secured to the body portion and provided at the ends of its guiding portion with extensions projecting respectively across opposite edges of the guide plate.

10. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, Work guiding devices including a welt guide,

mechanism for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, a welt slashing knife movable toward the shoe with the welt guide, means for actuating the knife to slash the welt acting to hold the knife in engagement with the welt during the movement of the welt guide toward the shoe, and means for supporting the blade of the. knife close to the point of engagement with the welt.

11. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, a welt slashing knife, and a welt guide on which the knife is mounted provided with a guide for the blade of the knife.

12. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, a welt guide, a welt slashing knife, mecha nism including a slide for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, and connections between the slide and the knife for actuating the knife.

18. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, a welt guide, a welt slashing knife, mechanism including a slide for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe during each cycle of operations of the machine, mechanism operated by the slide for actuating the knife, and means for throwing the knife into and out of operation.

14. A welt shoe sewing machine, having in combination, stitch forming devices, a welt guide, a welt guide slide, connections between the slide and the welt guide for moving the welt guide toward and from the shoe, mechanism including a reciprocating clutch for engaging and retracting the slide, and means for varying the extent of movement of the clutch.

AUGUSTINE l LITTLEFIELD. 

